DEVOTION
Grace in an Unusual Place
By Cathy Irvin
Staff Writer
CBN.com
- Recently, I went into an imports store with my great-granddaughter
Destiny, who is 2 years old. I told her to sit in her stroller
because there were pretty things that might break. Did I think
she understood? Not really, but I thought I could keep my eyes
on everything, including those little hands. At any moment they
might reach out to touch the pretty colored, fragile items sitting
on shelves near her eye level.
I stopped to check something up high. It was a bottle with a
drinking glass used as the top. As I reached for it, the one beside
it fell off the shelf and the glass top smashed to the floor.
Destiny began to draw attention to me by repeatedly saying "Gi-Gi
broke, Gi-Gi broke."
I decided that I should buy the bottle with the broken top. A
saleslady came over and said, You certainly do not have to pay
for this. It was an accident.
I was startled at her statement but I said, Ok, but I will buy
one anyway. Again she said, That is not necessary. I am glad
that neither of you were cut. I smiled and asked her to take
the bottle to the counter so I could continue to shop.
Destiny saw some small pink glass balls that were now at her
eye level. She calls them "baws" so I showed her one from the
package. I told her to hold out her hand. With my hands around
hers, she could feel it was not a rubber ball but a glass ball
that might break. I thought that I was smart by teaching her about
the feel of glass. She handed it back carefully and I opened the
package to place it inside.
She grabbed another one and it fell to the floor. She cupped
her hand over her mouth and pointed to it and said, "Broke." I
told her, Yes, but this time "Destiny broke." I was going to
get the lady and noticed no one came running to the rescue. I
picked out three more items and went to the register with my purchases.
I told the lady I needed to leave now before anything else happened.
The two sales girls smiled, waved their hands, and said, Don't
worry about this. It's nothing. They told me how glad they were
to see such a cute little girl and that she was just adorable.
I felt good in spite of a disastrous shopping adventure.
I realized God was showing me that sometimes when we mess up
and don't always do everything right that He just smiles and says,
Child, it's ok. I will just sprinkle a little grace on the situation
this time.
II Corinthians 12:9 says,
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all
the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power
may rest on me.
Some stores have a motto, You break it, you buy it," so I felt
like I had really received God's grace in the department store.
I was able to purchase what I wanted not what I had to buy. I
will shop there again because of their kindness. Maybe next time
I will go by myself and pray that I don't drop anything.
Can you picture heaven like a department store? It's full of
mercy and grace, and it is free.
Ephesians 1:6 says, to the praise of his glorious grace, which
he has freely given us in the One he loves.
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